The Truth Outs
by SimplyReBECca
Summary: JL. Post break-up. The truth about Lauren's drinks comes out.


_A/N - Another quick post break-up one shot. The truth will out eventually. Let's just hope it's soon! Let me know what you think xo_

* * *

"You wanted to talk to me, so talk" Lauren grumbled, having been woken up with a hangover to be dragged to the Vic for a talk with her Dad. "I know you're struggling Lauren, but you need to pull things together" Lauren rolled her eyes. "Seriously. You have college and this new job. Forget about Joey." Her voice cracked on her reply. "I can't. I've tried." Max put his hand over hers on the table. "I don't want to feel like this." "Oh Lauren." She shook her head, she didn't want pity. She'd be fine. Eventually.

She shuddered as she took a mouthful from her Dad's whisky glass, the orange juice in front of her not making her numb obviously. "Still not a whisky lover then" Her dad chuckled. "She's a double vodka girl right?" Tracey questioned, as she collected the empties from the next table. Lauren pulled a face at Max. She tended to only drink double vodka, usually with coke, when she wanted to get wrecked fast. Vodka tended to do that to her which is why she usually stuck to the wine and the alchopops when she was out, unless she had reason to drown her sorrows.

And she'd only done that once recently, the day she saw her ex boyfriend flirting with her ex best friend to Lauren's celebration drinks and she snogged Tyler in return. What a mistake that was, it could have cost her a really amazing friend in Whit and changed everything. Honestly she doesn't know what she was thinking, she obviously wasn't, Joey was hardly going to take her back because she drunkenly kissed someone else. But Tracey wasn't working that day.

"Huh?" Max questioned. "She was knocking them back a few Fridays ago." Tracey added. "Not that that is a bad thing" she said with a nervous chuckle, trying to show she wasn't judging. What Lauren did was up to her.

She knew straight away what day Tracey was talking about. "It was supposed to be lemonade" Lauren mumbled, looking at her dad. "You sure Trace?" Max added quickly, her confusion showing in response. But nodding in the direction of the door where Joey, Lucy and the others had just walked in, she spoke; "Yeah she was ordering a double vodka&lemonade and a single orange juice each time. I remember" Lauren went cold, her heart racing and blood boiling though. The fucking bitch, she'd kill her.

She got up and taking a few steps, went to lunge in Lucy's direction, Max stopping her, gaining everyone's attention. She wasn't even drunk and yet she was causing a scene. "Leave it Lauren. She's not worth it" He pleaded, holding her back. "You know the truth, you can move on now." He added. "LEAVE IT?! You just heard her" she looked at him dead on. "She was ordering me alcohol. She knew that this would happen. She knew how much Joey hated me drunk"

"Lucy?" Tyler said confused, but it starting to make sense to him. He'd even commented on her being drunk, wondering how she had the money when she'd told him she was skint. She was, Lucy wasn't though. "She's lying" Lucy rolled her eyes. "As usual.". She looked over at Joey, almost double checking he was believing her. Joey looked torn, not knowing everything, both things Max clocked. "It's because of him ay Lucy?" He scoffed. "That's why Tracey just told us you were ordering Lauren double vodkas to get her wrecked?" He glared at her. "For him? Really? Time to drop the act Lucy." Max said sternly, but Lauren had had enough.

She couldn't do this. Not in the middle of the Vic. Not sober. She wasn't going to let Joey tell her it didn't change anything, again, in front of everyone. He may be the person she was in love with, and she may be totally broken-hearted but she was also a proud stubborn Branning. She wasn't going to let it happen again. "Lauren?" Whit called across to her, pity and sadness in her voice.

"No. Take me home" she begged Max. "Please. Before I flip out and lose it." Max not wanting another wedding massacre scene, agreed. He started guiding her out of the Vic, she was just ignoring the comments around her, she could vaguely make out Whit and Alice having a go at Lucy but she didn't care. Until she heard his voice. "Babe." It sounded broken.

"No!" she shouted at him, the cracks in her blank mask showing. "You made your choice Joey." Her voice cracking on his name, she turned to face him properly. "Y'know I was trying my best. You gave up. Not me." She let out a dry sob. "I would have picked you and our relationship over the drink any day, no many how much I struggled." She shook her head, it was too late now. She wasn't trying to be cruel, she was telling the truth. It was black and white to her, she would have picked him. Over pretty much everything.

"I should have picked the booze." She laughed bitterly. "At least it's always been there. Never let me down. Not like you who leaves me when you can't do it anymore" She scoffed. "If this is how you treat someone you supposedly love..." she said sarcastically, before shaking her head slowly. "I'd hate to see how you treat someone you hate."

"And you?" She span quickly to face Lucy who did flinch slightly expecting a slap. "Karma's a bitch babe." She mocked, before walking out the door her dad held open and heading home, rushing before she broke down.


End file.
